Tag: stephen lam

Google plans to kill chat app Allo by the middle of next year, the company said in a blog post, confirming a report earlier on Wednesday about the product’s imminent demise. Despite owning the world’s dominant smartphone operating system in Android, Google has never been able to create a chat experience to rival Apple’s iMessage or Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp. Meanwhile, Google will focus fully on the development of Messages, its other chat app for Android phones. That initiative was the b

Google plans to kill chat app Allo by the middle of next year, the company said in a blog post, confirming a report earlier on Wednesday about the product’s imminent demise. Despite owning the world’s dominant smartphone operating system in Android, Google has never been able to create a chat experience to rival Apple’s iMessage or Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp. Meanwhile, Google will focus fully on the development of Messages, its other chat app for Android phones. That initiative was the bGoogle shutting down Allo Cached Page below :Company: cnbc, Activity: cnbc, Date: 2018-12-06 Authors: jillian donfro, stephen lamKeywords: news, cnbc, companies, social, yeargoogle, google, products, earlier, android, allo, apps, users, chat, shutting, work

Google plans to kill chat app Allo by the middle of next year, the company said in a blog post, confirming a report earlier on Wednesday about the product’s imminent demise.

Despite owning the world’s dominant smartphone operating system in Android, Google has never been able to create a chat experience to rival Apple’s iMessage or Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp.

Allo, which launched two years ago to much fanfare, will only work until March 2019, at which point users will have to download any conversations they want to save. Meanwhile, Google will focus fully on the development of Messages, its other chat app for Android phones. Earlier this year, Google announced that it was working with mobile carriers on a new Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, an upgrade to classic SMS texting, to make messaging work better across Android devices, and bring users features like read receipts and seamless group chats.

That initiative was the beginning of the end for Allo, which saw its product lead defect to Facebook earlier this year.

Google also said in its blog post that it plans to support another one of its chat apps, Hangouts, until it makes two of its enterprise apps, Hangouts Chat and Meet, available for non-paying users.

A Google employee tweeted earlier on Thursday that Meet and Chat would launch for regular consumers next year:

Google has long had a complicated, messy strategy when it comes to chat apps, and has axed a laundry list of communication products, including the original GChat, the social network Buzz, and the collaboration tool Wave. Earlier this year, it announced it was shutting down its social network Google Plus after it discovered a security bug that left private profile data exposed.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to testify in front of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. to discuss transparency and potential bias on the platform, according to a release from the committee. Google previously declined an invitation for Pichai or his boss, Alphabet CEO and Google co-founder Larry Page, to appear before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Tech peers Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg attended.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to testify in front of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. to discuss transparency and potential bias on the platform, according to a release from the committee.

Google previously declined an invitation for Pichai or his boss, Alphabet CEO and Google co-founder Larry Page, to appear before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Tech peers Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg attended. The committee left an empty chair for Google.

Pichai later talked to members of Congress in a private session.

Now, the Google CEO will have to face lawmakers to defend its practices. The company has been accused of skewing search results against conservative viewpoints and has been criticized for its consideration of creating a censored version of its platform to reenter the Chinese market.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in statement that Google’s vast reach requires the company to be responsible with its users.

“Unfortunately, recent reports suggest Google might not be wielding its vast power impartially,” McCarthy said. “Its business practices may have been affected by political bias. Additionally, reports claim the company is compromising its core principles by complying with repressive censorship mandates from China.”

“Online technology is now an integral part of most Americans’ modern lifestyle,” House Judiciary Committee Chariman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said in a statement. “It has globalized society and made it possible for people to connect across continents, explore vast amounts of information, and share meaningful dialogue with friends. However, the technology behind online services like social media and Internet search engines can also be used to suppress particular viewpoints and manipulate public opinion.”

Shares fell 5 percent, leading the overall market to painful declines, after iPhone supplier Lumentum cut its outlook. It’s far from the first warning about iPhone shipments from the industry’s top analysts. In 2017, Citi called iPhone demand “modest” and “tempered,” and Apple beat Wall Street projections for iPhone shipments by about 1 million. And we obviously have multiple sources for things, yields might vary, supplier performance can vary, the beginning inventory positions can vary. If hist

That’s the situation Apple was in Monday. Shares fell 5 percent, leading the overall market to painful declines, after iPhone supplier Lumentum cut its outlook.

It’s far from the first warning about iPhone shipments from the industry’s top analysts. This time it’s TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo cutting estimates for the iPhone XR. In October, it was Goldman Sachs and estimates for the company’s sales in China. Before that, it was Nikkei, Citi Research or Barclays Capital, lowering their respective estimates for the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 or the iPhone 5 over the years.

The regular concerns around iPhone demand have become close to routine for Apple as global smartphone sales slow and upgrade cycles grow longer. Apple beats consensus estimates for shipments anyway most quarters.

In 2013, after Barclays lowered iPhone sales estimates, citing “our checks in the supply chain,” Apple reported 2.4 million more units shipped than the research firm predicted. In 2017, Citi called iPhone demand “modest” and “tempered,” and Apple beat Wall Street projections for iPhone shipments by about 1 million.

Ahead of Apple’s fiscal second-quarter report in May, the company’s market value dropped by more than $60 billion in just three trading sessions, and at least five analyst firms adjusted estimates. Reported shipments fell just shy of consensus estimates, but analysts admitted they were overly panicked.

As early as 2013, Apple CEO Tim Cook was warning against taking supply chain rumors to heart. He addressed rumors of reduced orders on the company’s earnings call for its fiscal first quarter of 2013, saying:

I would suggest it’s good to question the accuracy of any kind of rumor about build plans and also stress that even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to accurately interpret the data point as to what it meant for our overall business because the supply chain is very complex. And we obviously have multiple sources for things, yields might vary, supplier performance can vary, the beginning inventory positions can vary. I mean, there’s just an inordinate long list of things that would make any single data point not a great proxy for what’s going on.

In short, Cook said Apple’s network of suppliers is deep and complicated. One supplier cutting its outlook doesn’t necessarily mean iPhone demand is down.

Of course, it’ll be harder to see how Apple stacks up against reports of declining sales when it reports earnings for the December quarter. The company said earlier this month it would stop breaking out individual sales figures for the iPhone, iPad and Mac. However, revenue and profit growth could still be a good indicator as to how well the overall iPhone business is doing as Apple tries new strategies to charge more for each device and layer paid digital services on top of each gadget it sells.

If history is any guide, analysts and investors tend to get unnecessarily spooked over one-off iPhone supplier rumors, just to be proven wrong after Apple discloses sales.

Two incredibly devastating wildfires are raging across California, already killing at least 31 people, displacing over 250,000 residents and destroying thousands of homes and businesses. The town of Paradise in Butte County has been virtually reduced to ashes by what’s called the Camp Fire. At least 29 people have died there, making it the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history in over 85 years. In Southern California, the Woolsey Fire was raging in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties,

Two incredibly devastating wildfires are raging across California, already killing at least 31 people, displacing over 250,000 residents and destroying thousands of homes and businesses.

The town of Paradise in Butte County has been virtually reduced to ashes by what’s called the Camp Fire. At least 29 people have died there, making it the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history in over 85 years. More than 200 people are unaccounted for. Firefighters were still trying to contain the roaring blaze, which broke out Thursday.

In Southern California, the Woolsey Fire was raging in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including in Thousands Oaks, where a gunman killed 12 people at a bar on Wednesday, and in celebrity-studded Malibu. More than 150,000 residents were under mandatory evacuation orders. The fire, which killed at least two people, has consumed over 85,000 acres and was only 15 percent contained as of the latest official report.

Residents affected by the three fires scorching parts of California have yet another ordeal to contend with: beginning the homeowners’ insurance claims process. Two of the blazes — the Hill Fire and the Woolsey Fire — ignited in southern California on Thursday, setting off evacuations, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. Meanwhile, the Camp Fire moved through northern California on Thursday, forcing thousands of residents to flee and engulfing the city of Paradise. The one bright sp

Residents affected by the three fires scorching parts of California have yet another ordeal to contend with: beginning the homeowners’ insurance claims process.

Two of the blazes — the Hill Fire and the Woolsey Fire — ignited in southern California on Thursday, setting off evacuations, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

Meanwhile, the Camp Fire moved through northern California on Thursday, forcing thousands of residents to flee and engulfing the city of Paradise.

All three of the fires continued to burn through on Friday.

The one bright spot for homeowners is this: As long as you’ve been paying your premiums, the standard homeowner’s insurance policy covers fire damage to your home, structures on your property and most of your belongings.

Certain specialty items, such as art or jewelry, might need a rider in order to be covered.

Here’s what you should look out for if you’re preparing to file an insurance claim after you’ve lost everything.

“I just think that this is the future,” Zuckerberg said when talking about the Stories feature that Facebook copied from Snapchat and introduced across its numerous apps. With Stories, users share full-screen photos or videos with their friends or followers that disappear after a day, rather than sticking around permanently. While Stories have been a hit on certain Facebook apps like Instagram, the feature has been adopted more slowly on the main Facebook app. Zuckerberg and Sandberg explained t

“I just think that this is the future,” Zuckerberg said when talking about the Stories feature that Facebook copied from Snapchat and introduced across its numerous apps. With Stories, users share full-screen photos or videos with their friends or followers that disappear after a day, rather than sticking around permanently.

“People want to share in ways that don’t stick around permanently, and I want to make sure that we fully embrace this,” Zuckerberg said.

While Stories have been a hit on certain Facebook apps like Instagram, the feature has been adopted more slowly on the main Facebook app. Regardless, Zuckerberg said he believes the opportunity with stories “will be bigger” than that of the News Feed, the scrolling wall of posts from friends that has dominated most Facebook users’ experience for yeas.

Facebook is still trying to figure out how to monetize stories. Zuckerberg and Sandberg explained that the company’s ad products for stories are not yet as robust as Facebook’s older ad products. The company will need to build out these tools as well as train advertisers on the best way to create ads for stories, Sandberg said. Thus, it remains unclear when ad revenue for stories will converge with the revenue from feed ads, Zuckerberg said.

“I can’t tell you just yet what that time frame is going to look like, but I think we’re well positioned over the long-term because we’re leading in stories and in basically every country,” he said.

Apple is expected to announce at least one new iPad Pro on Tuesday. The standard 9.7-inch iPad was refreshed in March of this year, but Apple so far hasn’t updated last year’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro or the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. According to well-sourced TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who correctly predicted this year’s iPhone lineup, Apple will launch a new iPad Pro with an 11-inch screen to replace the 10.5-inch model. Bloomberg said in August that Apple has multiple iPad Pros in t

Apple is expected to announce at least one new iPad Pro on Tuesday. The standard 9.7-inch iPad was refreshed in March of this year, but Apple so far hasn’t updated last year’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro or the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.

According to well-sourced TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who correctly predicted this year’s iPhone lineup, Apple will launch a new iPad Pro with an 11-inch screen to replace the 10.5-inch model. Bloomberg said in August that Apple has multiple iPad Pros in the works, so it’s possible a new 12.9-inch model could be coming, too.

The new iPads are expected to offer Face ID, which lets you unlock the iPad by looking at it, instead of a home button with a fingerprint sensor. This should allow for a larger display that covers almost the entire face of the iPad.

Jefferies initiated coverage of Apple’s stock with a buy rating on Monday, estimating the tech giant can build “a massive” services business on its core iPhone business. “We believe AAPL’s stable iPhone business will serve as the foundation upon which it can build a massive, recurring and high margin Services business,” Jefferies analyst Timothy O’Shea said in a note. “Services growth will be led by App Store and Apple Music, and we see an opportunity to introduce new services over time,” O’Shea

Jefferies initiated coverage of Apple’s stock with a buy rating on Monday, estimating the tech giant can build “a massive” services business on its core iPhone business.

“We believe AAPL’s stable iPhone business will serve as the foundation upon which it can build a massive, recurring and high margin Services business,” Jefferies analyst Timothy O’Shea said in a note.

O’Shea said the firm believes the services business could make up 25 percent of Apple’s revenue by fiscal year 2020, as well as 40 percent of the company’s gross profit.

“Applying a higher multiple compared to the lower margin hardware business, we see a significant opportunity for investors as Services alone could be worth $111 to $177 per share by that time,” O’Shea said.

“Services growth will be led by App Store and Apple Music, and we see an opportunity to introduce new services over time,” O’Shea added.

Apple shares rose 1.2 percent in trading. Jefferies has a $265 a share 12-month price target on Apple, which represents a 22 percent premium on the stock from Friday’s close of $216.30 a share.

WATCH: Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max review — the best phones you can buy

Stillman, who skipped college to jump straight into the workforce, is co-founder of Gen Z Guru, a consulting company that he runs with his father. Gen Z refers to anyone born after 1997, and Stillman is selling himself as the poster child of the post-millennial generation. LinkedIn hired him to speak at its Talent Connect event and consulted with Stillman for a program with company executives. “I’m one of the very few Gen Zers talking on the topic of Gen Z, and there are very few that actually h

When companies want insights into how to reach teens and young adults, they call 19-year-old Jonah Stillman.

Stillman, who skipped college to jump straight into the workforce, is co-founder of Gen Z Guru, a consulting company that he runs with his father. Gen Z refers to anyone born after 1997, and Stillman is selling himself as the poster child of the post-millennial generation.

LinkedIn hired him to speak at its Talent Connect event and consulted with Stillman for a program with company executives. The Minnesota Vikings tapped him to to help with team marketing, fan events and digital media content. Intuit revamped its recruiting strategy after meeting with Stillman.

Other clients have included 3M, Deloitte, Fannie Mae and Land-O-Lakes.

“I’m one of the very few Gen Zers talking on the topic of Gen Z, and there are very few that actually have data,” said Stillman, who lives in the Minneapolis area. “It doesn’t take much to share an opinion, but numbers don’t lie.”

Stillman sees Gen Zers as “digital natives,” who grew up in a post-9/11 world in the middle of a recession, when the average household lost one-third of its net worth. In other words, they’re very different from the entitled millennials who preceded them.

It’s a whole new population, just graduating from college, for corporate America to comprehend. Employers have to thoughtfully consider how to recruit the youth, and then retain them.

“I really hadn’t considered there was this new generation joining this workforce,” said Nicholas Mailey, vice president of talent acquisition at tax software company Intuit. It affects “the things we need to do in terms of to engage talent and attract talent,” he said.

The challenge is particularly acute for a company like Intuit, which has to compete with all of its better known Silicon Valley neighbors.

Pichai also said there were newer tools at Google that employees can use to report sexual harassment or misconduct. Google employees can also report sexual misconduct anonymously, the email saidThe email is also signed by Eileen Naughton, Google’s vice president of people operations. We are dead serious about making sure we provide a safe and inclusive workplace. We want to assure you that we review every single complaint about sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct, we investigate and we ta

Pichai also said there were newer tools at Google that employees can use to report sexual harassment or misconduct. Google employees can also report sexual misconduct anonymously, the email said

The email is also signed by Eileen Naughton, Google’s vice president of people operations.

You can read the full email below:

From: Sundar

Hi everyone,

Today’s story in the New York Times was difficult to read.

We are dead serious about making sure we provide a safe and inclusive workplace. We want to assure you that we review every single complaint about sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct, we investigate and we take action.

In recent years, we’ve made a number of changes, including taking an increasingly hard line on inappropriate conduct by people in positions of authority: in the last two years, 48 people have been terminated for sexual harassment, including 13 who were senior managers and above. None of these individuals received an exit package.

In 2015, we launched Respect@ and our annual Internal Investigations Report to provide transparency about these types of investigations at Google. Because we know that reporting harassment can be traumatic, we provide confidential channels to share any inappropriate behavior you experience or see. We support and respect those who have spoken out. You can find many ways to do this at go/saysomething. You can make a report anonymously if you wish.

We’ve also updated our policy to require all VPs and SVPs to disclose any relationship with a co-worker regardless of reporting line or presence of conflict.

We are committed to ensuring that Google is a workplace where you can feel safe to do your best work, and where there are serious consequences for anyone who behaves inappropriately.